QC Fire chief appointment stirs controversy

The appointment of a new Quezon City Fire Marshal has stirred controversy as allegations that the national leadership of the Bureau of Fire Protection is interfering to prevent the city government from appointing its own choice are already floating.

This comes as the current fire marshal, Aristotle Bañaga, and his deputy, Dominic Salvacion, were ordered to take a leave of absence in September by Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. for an investigation into the deadly fire in Tandang Sora that killed 15 people.

BFP chief Louie Puracan confirmed that he had ordered Bañaga and Salvacion to take a leave, prompting BFP-National Capital Region head Chief Supt. Nahum Tarroza to issue an order dated 18 September 2023, appointing Bañaga's deputy, Supt. Gilbert Arellano as "caretaker" of the Office of the Quezon City Fire Marshal.

But reports said that Tarroza has also appointed Supt. Rowena Gollod — who was in "floating status" for being assigned at the Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit — as the Deputy Fire Marshal, replacing Arellano.

BFP insiders alleged that Tarroza is trying to prevent the city government from appointing its own choice for fire marshal because the BFP leadership allegedly benefits from a "quota system" in which fire marshals are required to pay a certain amount of money to the BFP for every Fire Safety Inspection Certificate that they issue.

A BFP source who wished to remain anonymous told DAILY TRIBUNE that the quota system could bring in as much as P100,000 per month for BFP higher-ups.

The source also said that the BFP leadership is pocketing the allowances of fire inspectors who are supposed to be used to pay the salaries of firemen.

"The money is sourced from every Fire Safety Inspection Certificate being issued to applicants. Every inspector who has a pending FSIC due for approval has to pay a corresponding amount depending on how big is the structure being applied by private individuals," the DAILY TRIBUNE sourced revealed, adding that it could reached to hundred thousands of pesos if the structure is a tall building or a large complex.

"It's just one of the perks of being a fire chief in the largest city in Metro Manila. The others include the allowances of fire inspectors in the fields who do the checking on these structures and deals with private applicants of FSIC. Pocketing even the money intended to firemen who do the job," the source added.